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Marianne Faithfull is unforgettable as a middle-class, middle-aged frump who takes a job at a sex club. Maggie's small grandson, Olly, will die unless he gets to Australia for an operation that's only available in Melbourne. The boy's parents are broke and Maggie, a widow, has already sold her home to pay for Olly's treatment. Turned down by the bank and employment agencies, Maggie spots a job offer for a hostess in a Soho doorway, misunderstanding that ‘hostess' is a euphemism. Expertly mixing pathos and comedy, never lurid or vulgar despite its setting, Irina Palm wears its big heart right on its sleeve, thanks in major part to a compassionate and knowing performance from Faithfull. Screened in competition at Berlin Film Festival.
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D Sam Garbarski P Sébastien Delloye, Diana Elbaum, Georges van Brueghel S Philippe Blasband, Sam Garbarski, Martin Herron Dist Aztec International TD 35mm/2007/103mins